Demography of a Small Island Nation: Findings from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing of the Republic of the Marshall Island

Abstract

The 2011 Census of Population and Housing of the Republic of the Marshall Islands is the eleventh such census conducted since 1920. The main objective of the present paper is to highlight trends in population growth, fertility, mortality and migration, using the 2011 census. The 2011 census, conducted on 5 April 2011, recorded a total population of 53,158; it collected comprehensive information on the fertility history of women 15 to 54 years of age, which included questions on children ever born and children still living by sex. The fertility history also included the date of birth of the last child born alive. These data have been used to estimate current fertility and to indirectly estimate life expectancy at birth and infant mortality by sex. The current paper provides recommendations on: relevant government policies to improve existing or emerging socioeconomic conditions revealed by the census results; and areas of census planning, field management and data utilization in the Marshall Islands and in the rest of the Pacific countries.